


Lazy Day

by 20BlueBoy19



Series: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? [8]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Banter, Cuddling, Diamond City, Fluff, How Do I Tag, IT'S PLATONIC, M/M, Other, being roped into side quests, nick just wants a smoke, some deep questions about math and love, sorry nicky, there's a cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 20:29:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16839859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/20BlueBoy19/pseuds/20BlueBoy19
Summary: Saylor ropes Nick into another sidequest. All he wanted was to have a good smoke and enjoy a lazy day.





	Lazy Day

The weather was nice, especially for a lazy day. Pleasant air and a bright day. Although the trees lost their leaves because of radiation, Nick could still imagine canopies of green stretching above the houses, blue sky peeking in through patches. He sighed and looked back at Saylor, who was admiring the view as well.

“It’s beautiful out today.”

“It really is, Nick.”

Saylor reached out with his left hand near Nick’s metal one. The synth’s heart gave a sharp jolt, and then he weaved his cold fingers between Saylor’s soft ones. Saylor hummed contentedly. Nick wanted to say something, but he didn’t.

The walk ended abruptly when they found themselves back in front of the towering gates of Diamond City. Saylor nodded to a guard politely was they walked inside. All Nick wanted to do was sit down at the Agency and have a good smoke with Saylor. … Or get roped into another quest. That’s fine too, sure.

There was a cute gray cat lying in the sun in front of the Barber’s. It got up, stretched languidly, and ran off. Saylor insisted on following it to make sure it wasn’t going to wander outside the city’s walls and end up as raider lunch. Nick was pulled along for the ride, hand still entwined with Saylor’s. He grimaced when they ran right past the neon lights of his Agency.

The cat stopped in front of the door to the school. Saylor opened it slowly for the little guy. The cat bounded inside. Saylor indicated the door with a finger and looked at Nick with a face that pleaded him to agree to enter and explore the building with him. Nick grunted and nodded. So much for a good smoke.

“But make it quick.” He started to light a cigarette, but the look from the guard by the door made him pocket his lighter and fondle the cigarette instead.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Saylor replied absentmindedly, hand hovering over the railing as he ascended the stairs.

Nick heard a voice from upstairs. Saylor smiled and jumped up the last step.

“…Kid? I think they’re having a test, we should be-“ Saylor was already on the second floor, out of Nick’s line of sight.

Nick nodded stiffly to the guard stationed at the door and walked up the stairs. He remembered doing a case for the teacher here… Zw- Zwanky? Zwicker? Something along those lines. Man’d lost his security guard and couldn’t find the guy anywhere. Turns out he was gettin’, heh, fresh, with the Zwiker’s wife at the back of the building. Needless to say, that guard had been evicted from the force and his wife was evicted from their marriage. Seemed like the guy’d gotten over it, though.

“-rned a lot since then, so we’re going to reinforce that knowledge with a little quiz.”

Saylor was at the front of the room, walking towards a Miss Nanny with chipping white paint.

Nick stumbled after him and grabbed his arm,” Listen, kid. Class is in and we’re both a few hundred years too old for-“

Mr. Zw-something cut him off, taking Saylor’s attention away from the three eyed robot. “Another traveler. Sorry, you’re in the wrong place. This is a school, not a store.”

“A school.” Saylor looked mesmerized, his eyes scanning the entire room. “So those’re still a thing, huh?”

The teacher looked confused. “Er… yes,” he started awkwardly, hand stroking his red tie smooth. A nervous habit. “Every child in Diamond City gets a free education here.”

He looked to Nick and added on to the synth’s earlier point,” I’m afraid you’re a little too old to be enrolling here. Doubt you’d even fit in the seats- I mean no offence. But it’s a public building, so feel free to look around. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my lesson plans.”

He gathered some papers together into a neat pile and handed them to the Miss Nanny. She passed one out to each student. The look in the teacher’s eyes was strongly begging the two of them to leave so that he could continue class. Saylor didn’t notice the look in the man’s eyes.

“Free to look around, cool.” He wandered around the room, looking at the test papers and miscellaneous items scattered next to the walls. He found a ladder leading up another level and clambered up it, but this time Nick didn’t follow. He looked at the teacher.

“So, Mr…”

“Zwicky.” The man smiled lopsidedly. “Did a case for me once, I remember. Care to meet my assistant?”

“It’d be a pleasure.”

Zwicky introduced Nick to the Miss Nanny, Edna. She seemed very excited to meet him.

“Ah! A new scholar come to join us. Let me test your math skills.”

The robot paused for a moment. “What is twelve times fifteen?”

“Eh… One eighty?” Nick guessed.

“My, my, my!” She sounded impressed beyond belief. “You truly are a scholar. You are so smart; may I ask you a question?”

Before Nick had any time to respond she continued. “Family. It is important, yes? This thing called “love” I hear the children talk about. I think they need that to learn.”

Nick was lost in the one-sided conversation. “I…uh…”

Miss Edna must have detected the uncomfort in Nick’s voice, because she switched the subject immediately. “I have one more question before you leave.”

Nick nodded. “It’s not another quiz; I just… don’t get to talk to many adults.” This “love” I hear about. Do you think you can have it for someone, even if the two of you are very, very different?”

This had to be faulty programming. Unless something was wrong with her coding, a Miss Nanny shouldn’t even know what “love” is. But, Nick wasn’t one to challenge the humanity of robots.

“Who are you talking about, Miss? I feel as though this topic wasn’t just picked out of the blue.”

“No one!” Nick highly doubted that. “Just… imagine one is tall, and handsome, and smart. And one is… gentle but a bit… metallic.”

Nick tried to ignore who her explanations reminded him of. He shrugged. “If you love someone, hold onto them. Tomorrow you might not have the chance.”

“I… thank you. You have helped me make up my mind about something.”

Nick smiled. “Glad to help. If you don’t mind, I’m going to go get my friend and leave you two and your class to test.”

Miss Edna waved to him as he climbed the ladder, and Mr. Zwicky just looked relieved.

He ended up inside an old school bus. It smelled like dust and burnt plastic, but, running his soft hand along the driving wheel, it reminded him of before. Saylor was looking out over the bright and busy city, sitting on the roof of the school just beyond the door of the bus. Nick opened the door and sat beside him. Saylor looked at him and smiled, then shifted so that his head was resting on Nick’s shoulder. Nick’s arm was uncomfortable, so he strung it around Saylor’s shoulder. There was an edgy air between them. It was silent and awkward.

Taking a risk, Nick used his arm slung around Saylor to gently stroke the man’s arm. His eyes burned bright yellow. _This is a thing friends do_ , he thought to himself. _Just two buds, sitting on a rooftop, cuddling. Extremely platonic._ Saylor sighed contentedly and nuzzled slightly more into Nick. He laughed shallowly.

“I like your trench coat.”

“I got you one, remember?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t smell like you.” Saylor suddenly stiffened. “Y’know what I mean… I don’t get that ‘noir detective’ feel outta it.”

“I, uh… yeah. I get it, doll.”

Below them, in the crop fields to the left, some kids were playing a game and singing.

“Three headed radstag waitin’ in the wood. K-L-I-“

“You’re singing it _wrong_ , Dev.”

“Okay, then _you_ sing it!”

The other kid sang with a proud stature. “Three headed radstag waitin’ in the woods. K-I-L-L-I-N-G. First one gets the head, second gets the chest, third gets the arms and the toenails; _blegh_!”

“That’s not how it goes, either!”

“Yeah it is!”

“No it isn’t! It’s wood, not woods, and-“

Saylor gave a sharp chuckle. So did Nick. Then he said, “You wanna go have a smoke?”

“ _Finally_.”

Saylor got off of Nick and the pair of detectives headed for the agency to enjoy a few cigarettes. The view of the town and fields was nice from the chairs on the rooftops. It almost felt normal.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment; negative feedback, positive feedback, a dream you had last night, I don't care!


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